Scott Hatteberg is one of those baseball veterans who has received broad exposure both in baseball and Hollywood.
Hatteberg is an American former baseball player. His character was portrayed in the Brad Pitt starrer ‘Moneyball.’
The film was adapted from the book written by Michael Lewis. Its premises are real, covering the story of Oakland Athletics (A’s).
Scott Hatteberg used to play for Oakland Athletics. Besides, he played for the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB).
MLB is an American professional baseball organization. It is also one of the oldest major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.
Today, we will be talking about anything significant that has ever happened in Scott Hatteberg’s personal and professional life.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts About Scott Hatteberg
| Full Name | Scott Allen Hatteberg |
| Known As | Scott Hatteberg |
| Current Residence | Gig Harbor, Washington, United States |
| Birth Date | December 14, 1969 |
| Birth Place | Salem, Polk County, Oregon, United States |
| Age | 52 Years Old |
| Religion | Not Known |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Eisenhower High School, Yakima, Washington Washington State University |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Father’s Name | Not Known |
| Mother’s Name | Not Known |
| Height | 6 feet (182.88 cm) |
| Weight | 96 kg (211 lbs) |
| Build | Athletic |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Gray |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Hatteberg, also known as Bitsy |
| Children | 3 |
| Children’s name | Lauren Hatteberg, Sophia Hatteberg, and Ella Hatteberg |
| Profession | Baseball Player |
| Position | First baseman / Catcher |
| Active Since | 1988 |
| Affiliations | Major League Baseball (MLB) |
| MLB Debut | September 8, 1995 |
| Last MLB Appearance | May 25, 2008 |
| Former Teams | Boston Red Sox Oakland Athletics Cincinnati Reds |
| Net Worth | $10 million |
| Movie Presence | Moneyball |
| Social Media Handle | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Autographed Items |
| Last Update | May, 2022 |
Scott Hatteberg – Early Life
Hatteberg was born on December 14, 1969, in Salem, Oregon, United States. The information regarding his parents and siblings is not available.
He played Little League in Salem, Oregon, when he was young. Similarly, he also participated in little league at Canby, Oregon.
Likewise, he was also a part of the Pony League and American Legion baseball in Yakima, Washington.
The Salem native first went to Eisenhower High School in Yakima, Washington. He graduated from high school in 1988. He was also the Most Valued Player (MVP) of the baseball team in his high school.
Further, he also fulfilled the role of a team captain in his senior year. Hatteberg has a record of hitting .570 with seven home runs while in high school.
Scott Hatteberg – Baseball Career in College
Scott Hatteberg went to Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. He got admitted to the University in 1989.
He got associated with the Washington State Cougars baseball team in the Pacific-10 Conference. Hatteberg contributed to the Cougar’s victory of the Pacific-10 North all three years.
Further, he was also the captain of the Washington State Cougars Baseball team. Along with that, he was honored with the Most Valued Player (MVP) title in 1991.
Hatteberg was a batterymate to future major league pitcher Aaron Sele. He was the catcher, while Sele fulfilled the role of a pitcher.
Furthermore, he was a part of collegiate summer baseball in the Alaska Baseball League in 1989 and 1990. Also, he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity in Washington state.
Scott Hatteberg – International Baseball Career
Hatteberg represented the United States national baseball team at the 1990 Goodwill Games. He recorded a home run in the tournament against the Mexican national baseball team.
Further, he also played for the United States national baseball team at the 1990 Baseball World Cup. He hit .292/.346/.417 for the Team United States.
Scott Hatteberg – Professional Baseball Career
Scott Hatteberg made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on September 19, 1995.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox selected Hatteberg in the 1991 June draft. He was the third player picked in the draft. His selection was kind of an exchange between the Boston Red Sox and Kanas City Royals.
In fact, he was enrolled in the Red Sox as compensation from Kansas City Royals to sign Type A free agent Mike Boddicker.
Hatteberg made his Red Sox debut in 1995. He hit 34 home runs and batted .267 in seven seasons from 1995 to 2001.
Moreover, he became the only player in MLB history to hit into a triple play and hit a grand slam in his next at-bat against the Texas Rangers. Hatteberg made that record on August 6, 2001.
In fact, the bat used by Scott Hatteberg for his game against the Texas Rangers is now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
He had a nerve injury in his elbow during his last season with the Boston Red Sox. The injury was so severe that he had to undergo surgery.
In fact, he had to relearn how to throw and hold a baseball after the surgery, owing to the physical alterations. The period must have been very hard for Hatteberg as his career as a baseball catcher was in danger.
He was then traded to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Pokey Reese. However, the Colorado Rockies denied the salary arbitration two days later.
Then, Scott Hatteberg landed at the Oakland Athletics.
Oakland Athletics (A’s)
The Oakland Athletics signed Hatteberg to a one-year contract with a $950,000 base salary plus incentives. The deal happened the day after the Rockies declined to offer salary arbitration to Hatteberg.
Further, he was offered to play first base considering the throwing difficulty he might face because of injury.
Hatteberg contributed to Oakland Athletics’ reach to the playoffs in 2002 and 2003. He hit 49 home runs and batted .269 from 2002 to 2005. Further, he drove in 263 runs and had an on-base percentage of .355.
Moreover, his best performance with the Oakland Athletics happened in 2004 when he hit .287, scored 87 runs, hit 15 home runs, drove in 82 runs, and had an on-base percentage of .367.
The Movie ‘Moneyball’
Moneyball has included the chapter of Scott Hatterberg’s conversion from catcher to the first baseman in the Oakland Athletics.
The story in the chapter flows this way. Oakland General Manager Billy Beane openly admits how the team had pursued Scott Hatteberg to transition from catcher to the first baseman.
The effort was made because of Hatterberg’s high on-base percentage.
In fact, the determining factor was guided by the Oakland Athletics’ based on runs achieved.
Further, Billy Beane said that it was one of the most affordable skills for small-market clubs like the Oakland Athletics. Infield coach Ron Washington trained Hatteberg for the new position.
Scott Hatteberg’s character has an important story to tell in the movie. The movie features big celebrities like Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill as well.
An actor named Chris Patt has portrayed Hatteberg’s character in the 2011 film Moneyball.
More on Moneyball
The Oakland Athletics had gained victory in 19 subsequent games to tie the American League record.
In Oakland Athletics’ next game against the Kansas Royal, Hatteberg pinch-hit with one out and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth inning. Also, the A’s succeeded in gaining an 11-0 victory.
Moreover, Scott Hatteberg solely drove a 1-0 pitch well over the right-center field wall off Jason Grimsley for a walk-off home run. It gave a 12-11 victory to the A’s.
However, the American League recorded a 20-game winning streak later. The 2017 Cleveland Indians then broke the record.
In fact, the Cleveland Indians won 22 straight games. Then, they succeeded in setting the overall Major League record.
However, the 1916 New York Giants earlier had victory in 26 subsequent games with an interspersed tie for a 27-game unbeaten streak record.
All of these incidents were captured in Michael Lewis’s book. Later, these moments were depicted in the Moneyball cinema.
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds signed Scott Hatteberg to a one-year contract worth $750,000 on February 12, 2006. He was supposed to give the Cincinnati Reds team flexibility at first base, backing up Adam Dunn.
However, the Cincinnati Reds later traded their Outfield, Wily Mo Pena, to the Red Sox. Then, Adam Dunn had to move back to the outfield.
Hence, Scott Hatteberg was the one left at first base, expected to improve the Reds’ defense.
The Salem native recorded his 1,000th career hit on August 8, 2006, against Jason Marquis of the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
He further went 3-for-5 in this game. He also increased his batting average to .323.
Hatteberg was placed at pinch-hitting during the first week of the 2008 season. Joey Votto, a newbie, replaced Hatteberg at first base.
An actor named Chris Patt has portrayed Hatteberg’s character in the 2011 film Moneyball.
More on Moneyball
The Oakland Athletics had gained victory in 19 subsequent games to tie the American League record.
In Oakland Athletics’ next game against the Kansas Royal, Hatteberg pinch-hit with one out and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth inning. Also, the A’s succeeded in gaining an 11-0 victory.
Moreover, Scott Hatteberg solely drove a 1-0 pitch well over the right-center field wall off Jason Grimsley for a walk-off home run. It gave a 12-11 victory to the A’s.
However, the American League recorded a 20-game winning streak later. The 2017 Cleveland Indians then broke the record.
In fact, the Cleveland Indians won 22 straight games. Then, they succeeded in setting the overall Major League record.
However, the 1916 New York Giants earlier had victory in 26 subsequent games with an interspersed tie for a 27-game unbeaten streak record.
All of these incidents were captured in Michael Lewis’s book. Later, these moments were depicted in the Moneyball cinema.
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds signed Scott Hatteberg to a one-year contract worth $750,000 on February 12, 2006. He was supposed to give the Cincinnati Reds team flexibility at first base, backing up Adam Dunn.
However, the Cincinnati Reds later traded their Outfield, Wily Mo Pena, to the Red Sox. Then, Adam Dunn had to move back to the outfield.
Hence, Scott Hatteberg was the one left at first base, expected to improve the Reds’ defense.
The Salem native recorded his 1,000th career hit on August 8, 2006, against Jason Marquis of the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
He further went 3-for-5 in this game. He also increased his batting average to .323.
Hatteberg was placed at pinch-hitting during the first week of the 2008 season. Joey Votto, a newbie, replaced Hatteberg at first base.
Nonetheless, he had recorded his remarkable 20-game winning-streak for Oakland as a pinch-hitter. The historical record was achieved on September 4, 2020.
Further, he was asked to make room on the roster for top prospect Jay Bruce on May 27, 2008.
The club officially released Scott Hattenberg on June 4, 2008.
Career Statistics
Scott Hatteberg is yet known as one of the greatest players in history with analytical moves. As a matter of fact, Hatteberg’s baseball bat, which he used during the 2001 world record, is kept in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.